The escalation continues

Now the "surge" is over 30,000 troops and growing:

BOSTON - The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq has asked for an additional 2,500 to 3,000 troops to be sent to Iraq as part of the Bush administration's military buildup to crack down on rising sectarian violence and insurgents, The Boston Globe reported. Gen. David Petraeus wants another Army combat aviation unit -- which would be the sixth Army brigade involved in the buildup -- deployed to support the more than 26,000 soldiers already on their way to Iraq under the plan opposed by many Democrats in Congress, the Globe said in a report posted on its Web site Thursday night.